It is not an uncommon occurrence for anyone who frequents gaming discussion boards or websites – or even those that frequently author blogs, reviews or news releases – to come across the dreaded Spoiler. Whether it is a character reveal, a plot point or some kind of funny anecdote that people would rather discover for themselves, the idea of having an element of the game spoiled is something that brings vitriol to the surface of any discussion and often brings up heated debates on exactly what constitutes a spoiler in a video game.

It occurred to me when listening to the Giant Bombcast for January 5th, 2010 when one of their editors, Brad Shoemaker, described some of the details of the fate of one of the characters from Mass Effect in the sequel based on how you interact with them in the first game. The following week he announced some apologies and responded to a variety of criticism and a distinct lack of “spoiler alerts”. On a more finicky note, when Super Smash Bros. Brawl was not yet released, their official website gradually released information about the character roster, which some fanatics staunchly avoided and preferred to enjoy the surprise associated with the unlock during gameplay. Any news site that posted information verbatim would receive harsh criticism on spoiling key elements to someone’s enjoyment of the product.

While I understand that the “holy crap!” moments within a game are something that can really enhance someone’s experience with the narrative, I think the idea of being in tuned to details about the game is going to bring spoilers even to those who may try and shield their eyes. Enthusiasts to gaming will always have to tread softly, and it seems that many rely on the providers of their news and preview information to have some sort of filter that adheres to their exact spoiler-sensitive specifications. The marketing groups for the games certainly don’t help sometimes, throwing large plot points into heavy-rotation trailers and even in press releases. It has become a regular occurrence for me to see even a games journalist upset at spoilers that came across their desk along with a copy of the game, mentioning things they specifically can’t talk about.

The problem I have with the whole idea of spoiler alerts that is that so often the information that people consider spoilers to be inconsequential to the actual product itself. Yes, the shocking moments of any narrative can be something great to have around the office water cooler (should you work in an office, have a water cooler and have peers interested in your video gamey-psycho babble), but it is ultimately a distraction over what should be the main draw of any game; the game play itself. While games like Mass Effect and Heavy Rain have a grounding in their narrative and stories, and how those stories shape out, not being able to discuss the details of someone’s experience with the game does a disservice to the branching narratives that the developer has explored. Your mileage may vary, and sure this isn’t a universal proclamation as some games have a single storyline, but even then it is difficult to spoil the experience you will have with a game while sitting in front of it.

Grabbing the controls and navigating the experience is ultimately what will shape your enjoyment of the product. Games are not solely driven by the stories and environments that are contained within them, but the culmination of actually carrying out the actions and having the experience be challenging and fulfilling. Part of the is the carrot of a cutscene or a spectacular twist that has come as a result of the actions you’ve carried out, but without that context the meaning is lost and rarely carries the weight that a particular snapshot would. Yes, it is always nice to approach a game without having any knowledge of what your experience may bring you, but sometimes knowing what you might come across and experiencing something vastly different to someone else can enhance the experience. Ultimately, if you’re one who prefers the complete lack of knowledge, you probably should spend so much time reading the information, watching the trailers or writing for games press.